Power-transmitting gearing



Feb. 22., 1927.

POWER TRANSMITTING GEARIING Filed Aug. 2, 1926` y 3 'Sheets-Sheet 1 @fw/@ A A 1,618,927 E. C. HATCHER POWER TRANSMITTJYING GEARING Feb. 22, 1927.

Filed Aug. 2., 1926' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 n 1,618,927 Feb. 22 1927- E, C, HA-rcHER f POWER TRANSMITTING GEARING Filed Aug. 2, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 W' l 7 y y a 41 g8 y 124g; 5?

Amp/VE Y Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

UNITED .STATE-s YPari;ur orifice. i

ERNEST CHARLES HATCHZER, OF FNCHJEY, LON-DON, ENGLAN PDWER-TRANSTvTTIN-G GEARNG.

Application filed August 2, 1926, Serial No. 126,594, and in Great Britain; January `29, .1925.

This invention relates to power .transmission gearing in which rotary motion is transmitted successively from one shaft to another through two or more sets of worm Aand worm wheel gearing, in succession, .and is more particularly directed .towards the |provision'of a construction providing for a more balanced or .even ,torque vor couple vappli-ed 4to the :ultimate driven member of the'tran .of gearing and also providing for .the elimination .of `end ,thrust from the .driving shaft.

'In :a convenient eonstructional Varrangement in accordance with this invention, a worm wheel Aon the ultimatedriven shaftl is rotated by .driving efforts app'liedthereto through two worm wheels arranged in positions which are more or less diametrically opposite with respect `to .the axis of the driven shaft. Iny this manner a balanced torque or turning moment is applied to the ultimate Ydriven .worm wheel with corresponding advantages. An arrangement may also be provided in which the end thrust lin the driving shaft .can bet-aken up by the worm ,and worm wheel gearing by balancing the thrust of l'each set of gearing against .the other.

In the .accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of :power transmission gearing arranged 1naccordance with 'this invention. p Y

Figure 2 vis a plan view thereof in section on the centre line of the Vdriven shaft.

Figures 3 and 4 are simi-larviews illustrating a modification.

Figures 5 and 6 are also views similar lto Figures l and 2, illustrating a further modification. f Y

Referring to Figures l and 2, lis a driving shaft having worms 27 3 mounted thereon in gear with worm wheels 4, 5, on transmission spindles 6, 7, respectively carrying worms 8, 9, in gear with a worm wheel on the ultimate driven spindle 11, the worms 8,9, being arranged onl opposite sides of the said ultimate driven spindle. The driving shaft 1, is mounted in its bearings so that it is axially movable through a short distance and the threads on the worms are of opposite direction or twist. By reason of this construction, when the shaft 1 is transmitting power to the worm wheel trains, it adjusts itself to a position such that the power transmitted through each of the transmission spindles is equal. To allow such side of the worm wheel 10, lis balanced by y that applied on theopposite side. By reason of the opposite arrangement of the threads lof the worms on the .driving shaft and its freedom to move axially no end 'thrust is transmitted along this shaft and it is not necessary to provid-e any thrust hearing to oppose such end thrust.

yThe whole 'of the gearing can be conveniently arranged within a Closed casing 13, to which lubricant can be supplied in the usual manner. v

In an alternative arrangement, shown .in

Figures 3 and t, the driving shaft 14 car-` ries a worm in gear withworin 'wheels 1.6 on transmission spindles 17 carrying worms 18 arranged on opposite sides of a worin wheel 19 mounted on an intermediate driven shaft 20. j

The shaft 2t) is carri-ed in a 'bearing Set supported in the 'casing '21 so as to be freely movable therein in a direction' transverse to the wheel. The wheel 19 can then take 'up la position suchthat the drivil'lg-efforts exerted on its oppositesides are equa'lized. The wheel 19 is operatively connected, with the ultimate driven shaft 35, carried in a fixed bearing 3.6, by means of a suitable coup-ling compensating'for want of 'alignment between the shaft, for example, Aa coupling comprising disc members one of which has grooves therein in which projections on the other can slide. In the operation of this gearing a ,balanced effort is exerted on the driven shaft,

but this construction does not provide againstV end thrust on the driving shaft.

In the further modified arrangement illust-rated in Figures 5 and 6, two driving shafts 22, 23, are provided to transmit power to a single driven shaft 24. This construction can be conveniently employed in the case of driving shafts actuated by separate cylinders of a multiple cylinder engine or by different engines or turbines, .or by different sets of blades wit-hin the same turbine. A worm 25, on one driving shaft 22 acts through a worm wheel 26 transmission spindle 27, and worm 28 on one side of the worm wheel 29, on the ultimate driven shaft 24,

whilst the other driving shaft 23 acts through a worm 80, worm wheel 31, transmission spindle 32 and worm 33 on the opposite side of the said worm wheel 29.

lVhen equal power is transmitted through both driving shafts 2Q, 23, an exactly loalanced couple is exerted on the driven shaft. ln case the power transmitted through one driving shaft momentarily diminishes the other shaft has an extra load placed upon it to compensate for the diminution of power transmitted by the other shaft so as to keep the driven shaft running more or less uniformly.

I claim:

l. Gearing for transmitting powerl from a driving shaft to a driven shaft, comprising a worm wheel on the driven shaft and two trains of worin and worm wheel gearing, each train comprising a worm on the driving shaft, a transmission spindle, a worm wheel on the said spindle in gear with the worm on the driving shaft, and a worm on the transmission spindle spaced apart from the worm wheel thereon and in gear with the worm wheel on the driven shaft, the worms on the spindles acting on opposite sides of the worm wheel 0n the driven shaft and the phase of each train being adjustable relatively to the other train to equalize the driving efforts exerted on opposite sides of the said worm wheel on the driven shaft.

2. Gearing for transmitting power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft, comprising a worm wheel on the driven shaft and trains of worin and worm wheel gearing, each train consisting of a driving shaft worm, a transmission spindle, a worm wheel on said spindle in gear with the driving shaft worm of its train, and a worm on the transmission spindle spaced apart from the worm wheel thereon, the worms on the transmission spindle gearing with the worm wheel on the driven shaft and the driving shaft worms being movable to different positions to equalize the driving effort transmitted by each train from the driving to the driven shaft.

3. Gearing for transmitting power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft, comprising a worm wheel on the driven shaft and two trains of worm and worin wheel gearing, each train comprising a worin on a driving shaftr` a transn'iission spindle, a worm wheel on the said spindle in gear with the worm on the driving shaft, and a worm on the transmission spindle spaced apart from the worm wheel thereon and in gear with the worm wheel on the driven shaft, the phase of each transmission spindle being adjustable relatively to that of the other transmission spindle to equalize the driving effort transmitted by each train. Y

Ll. Gearing for transmitting power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft, comprising a worm wheel on the driven shaft and two trains of worm and worm wheel gearing, each train comprising a worm on a driving shaft, a transniission spindle, a worm wheel on the said spindle inV gear with the worm on the driving shaft, and a worm on the transmission spindle spaced apart from the worm wheel thereon and in gear with the worm wheel on the driven shaft, the worms on the spindles acting on opposite sides of the worin on the driven shaft, separate worms of opposite twist being provid-ed on the driving shaft and respectively included in separate trains, the said driving shaft being aziially adjustable in its hearings.

5. Gearing for transmitting power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft, comprising a worm wheel on the driven shaft and two like trains of gearing, each train comprising a driving shaft worm, a transmission spindle, a worm wheel on the said spindle in gearV with the driving shaft worm of its train, and a worm on the transmission spindle spaced apart from the worm wheel thereon and in gear with the worm wheel on the driven shaft.

ERNEST CHARLES HATCHER. 

